Three major UK supermarkets are working to increase transparency over the sourcing of their seafood products as part of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership’s Ocean Disclosure Project (ODP).
The three participating supermarkets are Asda (part of Walmart), Morrisons and the Co-operative Food, while aquaculture feed manufacturers Biomar and Skretting are also taking part.
Each company has reported the fisheries from which they bought fish and shellfish in 2014 along with information about the management of each fishery, environmental impacts and the presence of third party certifications and improvement projects.
“The seafood sector as a whole has poor transparency and this kind of comprehensive reporting shows a very high level of responsibility by these companies along with a real confidence in their business model," said Blake Lee-Harwood, strategy director , SFP.
Greenpeace has welcomed the supermarkets' involvement in the project. “This is a huge step in the right direction,” added Will McCallum, head of oceans, Greenpeace UK. “The more open retailers are about their sources, the more empowered customers are to identify sustainably-sourced fish and shop with confidence. Such disclosures also help to shed light on the often murky waters of the seafood industry and show where improvements can be made.”
SFP says it hopes that participation in the ODP will increase every year and that it becomes a platform for responsible companies to demonstrate very high levels of transparency and commitment to sustainability.
In addition, SFP says the information presented in the ODP will be of great value to consumers, seafood companies and investors while building confidence in the responsible operations of the seafood industry as a whole.
The full profiles can be seen online.
